Senior League World Series organizers relish tourney success, plan for future

Linda Coan O'Kresik | BDN | BDN

Linda Coan O'Kresik | BDN | BDN

Maine's Dennis Farnham (12) gets a high five from teammate Joey Moir after bringing in a run in the sixth inning of their Senior League World Series game against Canada on Aug. 10. Maine District 3 won 7-2.

BANGOR, Maine — The 13th consecutive Senior League World Series held at Bangor’s Mansfield Stadium was a success, according to tournament director Mike Brooker and stadium manager Dave Mansfield.

“The gate was a little better than average, and the souvenir sales were where we projected they would be,” Brooker said. “And the teams represented the best behaved group we have ever had here. There weren’t any problems.

“Overall, it went pretty well,” he added.

Mansfield oversees the concessions and said concession sales were “great.”

One of the things that helps the tourney financially is if the local team does well. That is felt at the box office, concession stand and the souvenir counter.

District 3 champ Bangor became the first District 3 team to win its pool and go 4-0. That sent Bangor into the semifinals, where eventual champion West University from Houston used a six-run sixth-inning rally to eliminate them, 7-0.

West University then beat Willemstad, Curacao, 7-4, in the championship game.

“That was a great accomplishment by our local team. They certainly exceeded expectations,” Brooker said. “It is a great thing for the area. It is starting to raise the level of baseball in the community.”

And the crowds turned out to support Bangor.

District 3 teams have now gone 12-10 over the past five seasons, including Bangor’s 4-2 record in 2010, when it reached the championship game. The district champs had gone 6-26 from 2002-09.

“When Bangor reached the championship game in 2010, that was a tremendous boon to us at the gate,” Brooker said. “That was, by far, our largest gate. … This year, because the team went 4-0 and reached the semifinals, we may make a little profit to carry over (to future SLWS).”

On the negative side, Brooker mentioned that “sponsorship declined a little bit, so we’ll probably have to be a little more aggressive in fundraising in the future.”

Brooker said it costs approximately $175,000 to run the tournament, of which $110,000-115,000 falls on the sponsoring groups: Bangor West Side Little League, District 3 and the Mansfield Stadium committee.

“Little League pays for their transportation to Bangor, and they share the hotel expenses with us. We pay for their transportation while they’re here, we pay for the banquet and the awards and we pay for the tent, which is where we feed them at the ballpark,” Brooker said.

The tent located next to the stadium has a variety of souvenir stands, and the Penobscot Job Corps staff cooks for the players.